van way



s Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May :25. 1922 F VAN WAY AUTOMATIC RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNAL m w 1 4 2 I 6 M Nov. 8, 1927. 1,648,288

F.- VAN WAY AUTOMATIC RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNAL 3 Sheets-Sheet T0 L/YMPS 4? /7 INVENTOR Fksa 142w My IV'lT/VEGGI JIM Bows/l W 3 Patented Nov. 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT Ft'ltlfi.

FRED VAN WAY, OF COViNA, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-CROSSING SIGNAL.

Application filed May 25, 1922.

This invention relates to that class of signals installed at points where roadways cross railways and operatable by railway cars or trains for the purpose of preventing accidents caused by roadway vehicles attempting to cross the railway when the same should be lcept clear for oncoming cars or trains, and is applicable to either trolley lines or steam railways where roadways cross the same.

An object of the invention is to provide'a more positive and practical signal to warn the driver of an automobile or other road vehicle of the approach of a car or train on the railway.

The invention is broadly new, basic and pioneer in that I provide a horizontally swinging pendant-carrying arm and means operatable by the car or train upon the railway track to swing said arm through a quadrant. .An advantage of this novel construction that it is thus made possible to quickly clear the road so that the vehicle stopped by the signal may proceedmor-e expeditiously after the car on the railway has passed.

An object of the invention is to provide a warning signal of this character the control ofwhich may be either automatic or manual so that the roadway may be opened or closed to traffic during switching operations on the railway.

An objectofthe invention is to provide a practical protection for road passengers against moving onto the track from either side of the railway and on either side of the roadway, and to effect this with a high deghee of simplicity.

This invention is applicable indepemlently of. and also in conjunction with, the usuai wi -wag and bell signals common to railway at roadway crossings in different, parts of the [finited States.

An object is to provide a positive warning to drivers of vehicleson roadways at a sutli cicnt distance from the railway crossing to permit.- the stopping of said vehicles before the railway crossing is reached. And to provide warning to said vehicles without danger to either vehicle or signaling apparatus in the'event that said vehicle should come in contact with the signaling apparatus.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawings, the subjoined detail description and the appended claims.

The acconnaanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Serial No. 563,465.

scale, a plan of the signal apparatus installed at a road and railway crossing, and

in a larger scale, a diagram of the electrical operating and controlling n'iccl'ianism. The signals are shown in normal open road position. The signaling arms are indiated by the characters 1, 1, 1, and 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental elevation partly in section of the apparatus in road closing position.

Fig. 4: is afragment-a1 detail showing the motor and electrical operating mechanism.

In Fig. 1, four horizontally swinging signaling arms 1, 1, 1, 1, are shown, each mounted on its vertical shaft 2, suitably jour nalled to revolve on a vertical axis; and said arms are provided with pendants 3 that may be of any suitable construction such as fle :i ble strips of rubberized fabric adapted to hang down into the way of road passengers.

Each arm is fixed to its shaft 2 above the top of a hollow column a that forms a support for the bearings 5 of the shaft. Each shaft is provided at its lower end with means, as the miter gear 6 adapted to be rotated a quarter turn by suitable means, as the miter gear 12 that is driven by a reversible electric motor 8 which is operated by a suitable current from an approved source and may be operated by a circuit carried by wires along the track. Said motor is connected through reduction gears shaft 10, and gears a and 5), to a shaft 10 extending across and under the railway A and provided with bevel gears l and 113, respectively, meshed with corresponding an; 7 and 13 that drive shafts l4 and i l extending across and under the roadway 15, and respectively provided with bevel gears 15 and 15 neshing with gears 16, 16 that revolve upright shafts 2 and 2 to swing the arms 1 and 1, positively, first in one direction a definite distance to a stop; and, upon reversal of the motor, a like distance in the other direction, to a stop, according to the motor operation.

Referring to F 1 and 2, 17 and 18 indicate the rails of an insulated block A of the railway track which is separated from the main track 19 by insulations 20 and 20. T he rails 17 on one side of the track are connected by a lead 21 to one pole of an electromagnet andthe rail 18 on the other side loo arrow for a sufficient to open the switch 33 of the track is connected by lead 23 with the other pole of the magnet 22.

These connections are applied in the usual manner at one end or the block A of the railway, and at the opposite end of the block l, rail ii is connected by lead Qel to one of the magnet operating battery 25. ail l8 connected by lead 26 to the other OOlQ of battery The eleetro-magnet 22 is normally ene nixed from the battery 25, and when it is energized shown in Fig. 2, the armature 2? is in toward the magnet to close the circuit. between the .witch points 5228 l dra.

and 2), and between leads of) and 31 of the motor operating circuit which is alternately connected through opposite sides ol the switch 233 to the motor 8, tor alternate operation of the motor in opposite directions.

Electric swi'ch 33 opens and closes the circuit between the contacts 32, 32, at the gap a, through the motor connect on 31 to 7 the motor 8. Sail switch 33 is connected by reduction 11. Set to the motor 8 so that when the circuit is closed between switch points 28 and $29, and the gaps a, Z), and c, of the switch 33, are closed, the motor will be d riyen in the direction of the unt'eathered number 01 revolutions at the gaps a, o, and 0, and to close the circuits at the gaps (Z, c, and 7. The wir ng; is such that when the gaps a, Z), 2 are closed, and th swi'ch 27 is in position to close the motor operating circuit at switch points 28 and the motor turns a sun'icieiit number oi revolutions to 'ate through the reduction gear 34s to open the gaps a, b, 0, thus stopping the motor at the desired point by breaking the curcuitll at the gap at, betweei switch points 32 and S2. The switch 88 is then in position to again energize the motor 8, when a shunt between rails l7 and 18 permits the spring 35 to draw the switch 27 into posi tion to close the circuit at the switch points 36 and :37.

he reduction gear is connected to rothe shalt 10 line swing the arms 1. and i into roadway clearing and closing position.

So long); as the l battery t 10 switch the circuit at 28 and circuit at and $7, and the swinging arms 1. l. 1. and 1 remain in the roadway clearing position as shown by solid lines in and by dotted lines in Fig. 2. This zi ot the eiectro-magnet continues llll'ull the rails 17 and 18 are connected by the entrance of a car Ci as shown in Fig. 1. into the block A; and thereupon the curt y is shunted through the rails 1'? and l8,'thus deenergiznot .22. nd allowing the spring ch 27 into position to continues to close and to break the close the circuit between the switch point 36 of lead and switch point 37 of lead 38; thereupon the motor will be driven in the direction of the feathered ar ow a sufficient number of revolutions to swing the signals to a road position and to open the gaps (Z, c, and f, oi? the switch 33, this stopping the ureter by meeting the motor ope ating circuit at the gap .45.

A manual shunt is provided through lead 39, connected to rail 15%, a. manually operated switch 10, and the lead ll. connected to rail 17, so that when the switch it) is closed the currenx trom battery is shunted de-energizing the magnet 2.2 and allowing the spring 235 to close the gap at S6 and 37, energizing the motor to operate the signal to a road closing position.

The si ialinp; arms u ay or may not be provided with lamps as at l? which may be illuminated by means of a. circuit 48, closed by suitable contact at a l) and 50, and connected with the power circuit which runs the motor.

The signal arms 2nd their shafts are arranged on opposite sides of the railway at a considerable distance therefrom so that when they are in signaling position, roadway passengers heedlcssly approaching the railway at considerable speed will collide with. the \ari'iing strips far enough from the track to 2lll( w them to stop before reaching the track; and the signaling arms are of such length and their upright shafts are so near to the roadway that the arms extend over the right halt ot the roadway at the approach toward both sides of the rai. way; and preferably the right side of the roadas it leaves the railway 's in like manner protected.

The arms are arranged to normally stand in road clearing position and the mechanism above described is arranged to swing said arms 'l'roin normal position against the diremion ol cur; .-.-iuary road travel, to close the road; and with such travel to open the road; thus to uiiiltly get out of the way of trz'ircl the moment the road is opened.

l *aricolored tery thereby drawing the armature 27 toward the magnet 22 and :losing the switch I. the point 28 oil which is connected by $0 to a live wire eadsng to any suitable so tree of elcctr1cal energy ill; the point 29 loo of switch 27 is connected by lead 31 to contact 32 at gap at. The contact 32 at gap a is connected by lead 31 to one terminal of the motor 8, the other terminal of which is connected by lead 51 to another live wire leading to the source oi electrical energy H. The gap a is closed by switch which also closes the gaps b and c, that are connected by suitable leads 52 and 53; and '54 and 55 respectively to the motor 8. The leads and 51 extend to the usual armature terminals of the motor while the leads 52 and 55 extend to the field terminals thereof. The direction of the current flowing through the lield and arimiture is reversed by the gaps Z), c and c, f, as described, while gaps a and (Z merely act to start or stop the motor. The motor is of standard and well known construction and the electrical connections between the source of energy H and the field and armature windings is built into and made an inherent part of the motor at the time it is constructed. These connections are here more or less diagrammatically shown at 53 and 54. The switch 38 thus closes the circuit to the motor 8 through the gaps (1., I) and c andthe motor is rotated in the dire :tion of the unteathered arrow asufiicient number of revolutions tobring the segment 56 into position shown in full lines, F 2-, when the spring 56 connected to link 56" to which the segment 56 is connected will. he to one side of the point 56, at which point the switch 38 and link 56 are pivoted; and

draw the switch to the full line position when it will open the gaps a, b and c and close the gaps d, e and 7 and thus the current to the motor will be broken.

The arms 1 and 1 will remzi'in in roadway clearing position until the electromagnet 22 is deenergized by shunting the current from battery 25 by closing the manually controlled switch .40 or by a car entering the insulated block A of the railway A.

When a car (Fig. 1) enters the insulated block A of the railway track A the current from battery 25 is shunted from the electromagnet 22 and the spring 35 will draw the swilt l 2? into position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, and closes the circuit between the contact points 36 and 37 and between contact points as and 50. The contact point 36 is connected by wire 57 to the contact point 29 and thereby is connected with the source of electrical energy H. The contact point 37 is connected by lead 38 to contact 58 at gap (Z and switch 33 continues the circuit to contact 59 which is connected by wire (30 to contact 32 and by lead 31 to one terminal of the motor 8, the terminal of which is connected by lead 51 to the source of electrical energy H and thus completing the circuit.

The switch 33 in full line position, Fig. 2,

also closes the gaps e and f. The contact 61 at gap 6 is connected to lead 52 and contact 62 is connected to lead 5%; and the contact 63 at gap f is connected by wire (54: to lead 53, and contact 65 is connected by wire (36 to lead 55. The switch 33 in full line position, Fig. 2, directs the current to the motor 8 in a directionreverse to that when the switch. is in dotted line position, Fig. 2, and the motor will berotated in the direction of the feathered arrow a suiiicient number of revolutions to swing the arms 1 and 1 through a quadrant and into road closing position, and to bring the segment 56 into dotted line position, Fig. 2, in which position the current to motor 8 will be broken.

lVhen the armature 27 is drawn by spring :15 to close the circuit between contacts 36 and $57 the switch 27 will close the circuit between the contacts 19 and 50. The contact 50 is connected to the source of electrical energy H by lead 67 and the contact -19 may be connected by lead 68 to one terminal of the lamps 17 on the arms 1- and 1. The other terminal of said lamps 17 may be connected by lead 69 to the source of electrical. energy H and thereby illuminate said lamps l? when the circuit between contacts 36 and :37 are closed to operate the motor to swing the arms 1 and 1 into road closing position.

The arms 1 and 1 will be maintained in road closing position as long as the current from battens 25 is shunted by the presence of a car on the insulated block A or by closing the switch 40.

1 claim- 1. The combination with an electrical rail way block of a reversible motor; an electric circuit to operate said motor; a horizontally swinging signal arm operable by said motor, through a quadrant; a switch to alternately connect said motor with said circuit to drive the motor first in one direction and then in the other; yielding means to hold said switch till ion

arm in signaling position to intercept travel;

an electro-magnet energized by the current in the block when the track is cl :ar to hold the switch in position to connect the motor with the circuit to swing the arm out of travel intercepting position, and a double throw switch operable by the motor to stop the motor at the end of a quadrant movement of the arm and to come into position to reverse the motor when the change from clear track to closed track is made, and to again reverse the motor when the change from closed track to clear track is made.

2. In a railway and roadway crossing signal apparatus; an insulated railway block and electrical source of supply connected to said block; a solenoid connected to said block and adapted to be energized by said electrical source; signal arms; a motor adapted to operate said signal arms and an electrical circuit connected to said motor; a switch in lit) ell. ,u;

said circuit adapted to be operated by said solenoid; another switch in said circuit operable by said motor to break the circuit to said motor after said signal arms have been moved a predetermined distance; and means operable by said first mentioned switch when said clectroniagnet is deenergized by shunting the electricity from said electrical source to close the circuit to said motor to move said arms, said first mentioned switch being adapted to be moved by energizing said electromagnet when the shunting of the eleetrical energizer has been disconlii'iued to close the circuit to said motor in a reverse direction to move the signal arms in a reverse direction to starting position.

3. In a railway and roadway crossing sig nal apparatus; an insulated railway block; signal arms; a motor connected to operate said arms and an electrical circuit to said motor; a switch in said circuit adapted to be controlled by a carlentering said insulated block; a pivotally mounted s vitch operable by said motor to break the circuit to said motor after said signal arms have been moved a predetermined distance, a segment oscillatable by said motor and a pivotally mounted link connected to said-segm nt and yielding means connecting said link and said switch to operate said switch when the segment has been moved a predetermined distance so as to bring the yielding means to one side of the pivoted connection.

4. In a railway and-roadway crossing signal apparatus; an insulated railway block; signal arms normally in roadway clearing position; a motor to operate said arms; an

cars to again close the circuit to said motor to move the arms into roadway clearing position.

5. lira railway and roadway crossing signal apparatus; an insulated railway block; signal arms; a motor connected to operate said. arms and an electrical circuit to said motor; a switch in said circuit adapted to be controlled by a car entering said insulated block; a pivotally mounted switch operable by said motor to break the circuit to said motor after said signal arms have been ,inoved a predetermined distance, a segment geared to said motor and oscillated thereby. a pivotally mounted link connected to segment, a spring secured to said link and said switch to operate said switch when the segment has been moved a predetermined distance so as to bring the spring to one side of the'pivot point of said link.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, (hilitnrnia, this 4th day oi May, 1922.

FRED VAN WAY. 

